Pavla Chyská- EEA expert on Water, Ground water "Ground water is a very important element of the earth's hydrological cycle. It comes from rain and snow melt that seeps into the grounds. Its hidden below the earth's surface and, compared with rivers and lakes, it receives less attention from people but its influence on our lives is enormous. Ground water is very important because it's a vital part of the eco-systems on our planet and, yes, life exists in ground water too. Many water eco-systems like springs, rivers and streams depend on it.
Ground water is also a major source of water for people and especially quality drinking water. In Europe as a whole, about 65% of public water supply is provided by ground water."

Flat-fee water charges are still common in parts of Europe. Such schemes, where users pay a fee regardless of the volume used, do not encourage efficient behaviour, either in households or agriculture, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Protecting water from pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges that we face. In recent decades, major disasters like the Sandoz incident in 1986 demonstrated that pollution knows no frontiers and that strong EU actions and cooperation were needed.
This detailed news report looks at the ways in which Europe’s determination to protect water in all its forms is achieving results. From the European quality of the drinking water, through the treatment of waste water, to protection of its rivers, coasts and lakes – over the last few decades it has developed an effective legislative arsenal.
The aim of the European Union is for all the water on its territory to by in good status by 2015. Although challenges remain, results are obvious. For example, in 2000, the EU adopted a directive promoting trans-boundary co-operation and introducing the river basin management concept where the territory of the river as a whole is taken into account. And in terms of bathing water, since 1990, the number of bathing sites fulfilling the EU standards has increased by almost 30% to an impressive 90%.